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Wednesday, 7 January 2015

POLITICAL AND OTHER NEWS ROUNDUP -2014 PART 1

Political
News -2014 PART-1

Devyani Khobragade BARRED from entering United
States"

Expelled
Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, in effect, has been barred entry into the
United States.The State Department has said that her name would be placed in
visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent the routine issuance of
visa.Khobragade's departure from the US, State Department spokesperson Jen
Psaki said, does not alter the charges against the 39-year-old diplomat.

"Her
name would be placed in visa and immigration lookout systems to prevent the
routine issuance of any future visa and upon her departure a warrant may be
issued for her arrest," she said.From the comments made by the State
Department spokesperson, it is clear that Khobragade is being virtually treated
as a 'persona non grata' and she may be permitted to visit the US only to
subject herself to the jurisdiction of an American court.Khobragade, married to
an Indian-origin American national, has two daughters, aged 6 and 3, who are
now likely to shift to India.The US has said that Khobragade, who has returned
to New Delhi, no longer enjoys immunity and an arrest warrant might be issued
against her.

"Prior
to her departure, it was conveyed to her and to the government of India that
she is not permitted to return to the United States except to submit to the
jurisdiction of the court," said Psaki.On Thursday, Khobragade was
indicted in a New York court on two counts of visa fraud and misrepresentation
of facts."The charges remain in place. There are processes that are
standard processes in each of these cases, which we were abiding by throughout
this process," the State Department spokesperson insisted.

Arrested
on December 12, Khobragade was strip-searched and held with criminals,
triggering a row between the two sides.India had retaliated by downgrading
privileges of a certain category of US diplomats, among other steps.

Sunanda's
death unnatural, some injuries found: Doctors:

Doctors
at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, who conducted autopsy on the body
of Sunanda Pushkar, today said it was a case of "sudden, unnatural
death" but ruled out poisoning even as police investigated various angles
into death of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor's wife.

Injury
marks were also found on the body of 52-year-old Pushkar, who was last night
found dead in mysterious circumstances in luxury LeelaPalace hotel in South
Delhi.

The head
of the three-member panel of doctors that conducted the autopsy on Pushkar,
said, "We have conducted the postmortem examination... It is a case of
sudden, unnatural death" but ruled out poisoning.

However,
he said the team has preserved certain "biological samples for
toxicological analysis as well as visco-pathological examination.""We
have completed the whole procedure. Samples for toxicological analysis means
ruling out any poison. Some pathology of the heart has been preserved by
us," he said.

Pushkar
was found dead in her suite at the hotel and the body was shifted to AIIMS at
around 3:30 am for post-mortem. The police is also expected to record statement
of Tharoor, who was admitted to AIIMS following complaints of chest pain and
was discharged later.

Pushkar
and Tharoor were at the centre of a raging controversy when reports emerged
that she was upset over reported text and tweet messages between her husband
and Mehr Tarar, a Pakistani journalist.Gupta, who is head of forensic sciences
department at AIIMS, said the autopsy report would focus on investigating from
a medical angle the sudden unnatural death.He said the final autopsy report
will be prepared within next couple of days after receiving reports of
toxicological analysis and visco-pathological examination."After receiving
all these reports in the next couple of days, we will finalise the postmortem
report and we will give our opinion in the case," he said.

When
asked about the injuries on the body, he refused to give details saying as
police was working on the case, certain issues cannot be revealed.

"There
were certain injuries on the body. I cannot reveal the details of the injury.
Basically in medico-legal cases, the number of injuries does not matter.
Whether these injuries were related to fatality or not matters," he
said.Asked whether the injury caused death, he refused to give a direct answer.

Meet this year's Padma Award winners:

Noted
scientist R A Mashelkar and yoga guru B K S Iyengar were on Saturday chosen for
this year's Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, while
cine star Kamala Haasan, author Ruskin Bond and late former chief justice J S
Verma were selected for the Padma Bhushan.

National
Badminton coach P Gopichand, tennis player Leander Paes, writer Anita Desai and
Tamil lyricist and writer Vairamuthu were also picked for the Padma Bhushan
while cricketer Yuvraj Singh and cine stars Paresh Rawal and Vidya Balan were
selected for the Padma Shri.

6 killed, scores injured as deadly blasts hit
police in Cairo:

Four
blasts, including a suicide bombing at the police headquarters, rocked the
Egyptian capital and nearby areas in Cairo, killing six persons and wounding
nearly 100 on the eve of the anniversary of the 2011 uprising.The first
powerful blast was reportedly caused by a suicide attacker, who rammed his explosives-laden
vehicle into a security fence around the Cairo Security Directorate, killing
four and injuring 76 others, officials at the interior and health ministry
said.In a second blast hours later, at least one person was killed when a small
improvised explosive device went off near a police vehicle close to a metro
station in Giza. At least 11 persons were wounded in the attack.Another
improvised bomb hit a police station near the Giza pyramids. The blast did not
cause any fatalities, an interior ministry official told state TV.The fourth
blast at the Radobis Cinema theatre in Cairo's Haram district killed one
person, state TV reported. The deadly blasts raised concerns that an Islamist
insurgency is gathering pace in the polarised Arab nation as Egyptian forces
have intensified a crackdown on Islamists.The Islamist elements have been
blamed for a series of attacks on the army and police following the ouster of
President Mohamed Morsi by the powerful military on July 3, 2013.Hours after
the bombings, angry mobs along with police clashed with Brotherhood activists,
accused by the government of being behind a wave of bombings and shootings.
Brotherhood has denied such allegations.

At least
10 people, including a school student, were killed while 11 others were injured
in the clashes."It's a vile, desperate attempt by evil terrorist forces to
disrupt the success Egypt and its people have achieved in the [transitional]
roadmap and the passing of the new constitution," Prime Minister Hazem
El-Beblawi commented, in reference to the Cairo bomb.In a statement, president
Adly Mansour pledged to "severely punish" those involved in
"planning, financing, inciting, participating in or executing" such
attacks, saying that tampering with state security is a "red line".An
al Qaeda-inspired militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem)
claimed responsibility for the attack on the police headquarters, the BBC
reported.The explosion at the police headquarters blew out the windows of the
building and stripped off parts of its facade. The nearby Museum of Islamic
Arts was severely damaged by the explosion, which could be heard six kilometres
away.State television said investigators had found the remains of the suspected
suicide bomber.A witness said she saw a badly mangled vehicle stained with
blood parked in front of the police compound. TV footage showed dense smoke
billowing from the building after the blast. The police have cordoned off the
area.

The
blasts came on the eve of the third anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ended
the three-decade long autocratic regime of Mubarak. "They don't want the
people to to celebrate," the January 25 anniversary, Interior Minister
Mohamed Ibrahim said of the attackers.Meanwhile, supporters of ousted Islamist
President Mohamed Morsi squared off with police and local residents in the Nile
Delta's Damietta governorate. Twelve protesters were arrested during the
violence, Ahram Online reported.

Clashes
also erupted in Alexandria during a funeral for a student killed in violence in
the city on Thursday, leading to the death of another protester.Supporters and
opponents of the Brotherhood threw bricks and stones in the Al-Dekheila
district. Fierce clashes also broke out in Giza between Morsi supporters and
Egyptian security forces.Hundreds of Islamists gathered in the Imbaba district,
west of Cairo and clashed with security forces, who responded by firing tear
gas, MENA news agency reported. One person died in the Imbaba clashes.At least
111 rioters have been arrested in several governorates, the interior ministry
said.In Beheira governorate in Egypt's Nile Delta, two were killed in clashes
between the Brotherhood and residents of Housh Eissa city.In Upper Egypt's Beni
Suef governorate, the health ministry reported that two people were killed
during clashes. Protests had erupted following Friday prayers in the cities of
Beni Suef and Al-Wasti which soon after developed into confrontations.In Upper
Egypt's Minya governorate, a shop owner died from gunshot wounds sustained as
he was passing close to the clashes. One more was injured, according to a
health ministry.Three more people, including a school student, were killed in
the violence, officials said. There have been calls from three different groups
to take to streets on January 25.All calls target Tahrir Square as a final
destination and as the anti-protest law has been activated, it is expected the
three groups should request permits in advance.

Protests
erupt in Delhi over Arunachal student's death:

A group
of students from the Northeast on Saturday staged a protest in New Delhi
against the death of an Arunachal Pradesh MLA's son after being allegedly
beaten up by some shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar. The 19-year-old student Nido
Tania, son of Congress MLA and Parliamentary Secretary in Health and Family
Welfare Department Nido Pavitra, was allegedly beaten up by some shopkeepers
following an altercation sparked by their taunts on his hairstyle.

"Police
should take swift action in the case. We would not remain silent till the culprits
are sent to jail," said Dhapo, a protestor.Protestors in large numbers
today gathered outside the Lajpat Nagar Police Station and raised slogans
against the police.Police have registered a case of murder under section 302 of
IPC and are probing the matter. A magisterial inquiry has also been ordered.

"This
is not the first time that a Northeast student has been targeted. We would
continue our fight for our rights. We have come here to protest the brutal
death of the Arunachal student. We want Delhi Police to take swift action in
this case," said Sumokoji, a protestor.

The
student's relatives alleged that he had an altercation with some shopkeepers in
Lajpat Nagar in south Delhi on Wednesday after they made fun of his hairstyle.
The shopkeepers then allegedly thrashed him to death.

Police
had reached the spot and brokered compromise after which Tania returned to his
Safdarjung home with his friends. However, he did not wake up the next day.
When his friends took him to AIIMS, he was declared brought dead. Police said
they were waiting for the viscera report while two shopkeepers identified as
Farhan and Akram have been arrested.The initial post-mortem has not revealed
"much injury or aberration". His viscera samples have been preserved
to zero in on the cause of death, police said.

In 1964, CIA thought Subhash Chandra Bose was
alive, says document:

American
intelligence agency Central Intelligence Agency had cast doubt on the reported
death of Subhas Chandra Bose in a plane crash in 1945 and was tipped off that
Netaji would return from exile in 1964, according to declassified
documents."A search of our files indicates that there is no information
available regarding subject's death that would shed any light on the
reliability of the reports," documents released by the CIA said.A
document, dated February 1964, released by the CIA said, "There now exists
a strong possibility that Bose is leading the rebellious group undermining the
current Nehru government."

Four
declassified CIA documents were given to researchers Abhishek Bose and Anuj
Dhar, besides Netaji's grand-nephew Chandra Bose, who had sought details under
the Freedom of Information Act.In a report dated January 1949, the agency had
noted the rumour that Bose was 'still alive'. In a detailed analysis of the
Indian political scenario in November 1950, a highly-placed source had informed
the CIA that it was being said in New Delhi that Bose "is in Siberia,
where he is waiting for a chance to make a big come back.Among the released
documents, the oldest one goes back to May 1946, in which a confirmation of
Netaji's death was sought from the secretary of state in WashingtonDC.

"The
hold which Bose had over the Indian imagination was tremendous and that if he
should return to this country trouble would result," wrote the then
American consulate general in Mumbai.When under house arrest by the Britishers,
Netaji had escaped from India in 1941 to seek international support for the
freedom struggle. After organising the Indian National Army with Japanese help
he went missing in 1945.

He was
last seen at the BangkokAirport on August 17 1945. The Mukherjee Commission,
probing Bose's disappearance, had rejected that he died in a plane crash in
Taiwan on August 18, 1945.The Prime Minister's Office had earlier refused to
furnish data on documents and records it held on Netaji's disappearance, saying
the disclosure would harm India's relation with foreign countries.Family
members and researchers on Netaji's life have said that it was time for the
Indian government to release the files.

A bill to
provide for setting up a regular mechanism to encourage persons to disclose
information on corruption or wilful misuse of power by public servants,
including ministers, was passed by Parliament on Friday.The Whistleblowers'
Protection Bill also seeks to provide "adequate protection to persons
reporting corruption or wilful misuse of discretion which causes demonstrable
loss to the government or commission of a criminal offence by a public
servant."

While the
measures set out the procedure to inquire into the disclosures and provides
adequate safeguards against victimisation of the whistleblower, it also seeks
to provide punishment for false or frivolous complaints.In his reply, Minister
of State for Personnel V Narayanasamy said the legislation would supplement the
RTI Act in checking corruption in the country.He said based on some
recommendations of Parliamentary Standing Committee and other members, who had
sought to bring some amendments. However, since it was session's last day, he
was not pushing them as the bill would lapse.

"But
appropriate steps will be taken to address concerns of members within
constitutional methods in 10 days," he said.The bill was passed by Lok
Sabha in 2011 and was taken up by the Upper House in 2012 for consideration.
However, it could not be passed because of the death of Union Minister Vilasrao
Deshmukh.To a suggestion that steps should be taken to protect those who had
blown the whistle on corrupt practices prior to the bill being passed,
Narayanasamy said the government has already brought a resolution in 2004 under
which the CVC was empowered to protect the whistleblowers.

The
definition of 'disclosure' has also been amended to include wilful misuse of
power or wilful misuse of discretion which leads to demonstrable loss to the
government or demonstrable gain to the public servant or any third party.The
definition of competent authority to which a complaint can be made has also
been expanded.

India test-fires Akash SAM missile:

India on
Friday test-fired the indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile from
the IntegratedTestRange launch complex at Chandipur near Balasore in Odisha.The
missile targeted a floating object supported by the pilot-less target aircraft
'Lakshya', defence officials said.

"Akash
was test fired from launch complex-3 at 11.22 am," a defence official
said, adding that "some more trials would be conducted within the next
couple of days"."During the trial, the missile was aimed at
intercepting a floating object supported by a pilot-less target aircraft, flown
from launch complex-II, at a definite altitude over the sea," according to
a source. Akash is a medium range surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system
developed by the DRDO as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development
Programme.

It has a
strike range of 25 km and can carry a warhead of 60 kg. It has the capability
to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed with a battery that can track
and attack several targets simultaneously, they said.

With the
capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles,
air-to-surface missiles etc, defence experts compare Akash to the American
MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system. The last trial was conducted on
June 6, 2012 from the same base.

'Nalanda
an international varsity, not another central university':

Noble
laureate economist Amartya Sen, the chancellor of Nalanda University in Bihar's
Nalanda district, has questioned the interpretation of the upcoming university
as another central university rather than an international institution.“It is
wrong to interpret Nalanda as another central university as it will be in
contradiction with the parliamentary act and India’s assurance to other
countries” he said on Tuesday in Patna.

Sen
further said that it will also end the likelihood that “our own financial
commitment to building this very special university will be increasingly
supplemented by contributions coming from other countries as well as within
India”.According to the Nalanda Act, 2010, Nalanda University has been
described as an international institution. But the recent Union finance
ministry’s queries have virtually equated it with central universities.

The next
meeting of the Union Cabinet will be crucial for the university which plans to
start its academic session from a makeshift venue in 2014 itself.Sen said that
India had conveyed to members of the East Asia Summit that this would be an
international university, an understanding that is already incorporated in the
Nalanda Act of the Parliament in November 2010.He said nine countries have
already signed an inter-government agreement at the invitation of the
government of India to participate in the development of this non-state,
non-profit, self-governing institution.Five of the nine countries have already
made some financial commitment on the presumption that they were participating
in an international effort, rather than only Indian efforts to build another
central university.

Minister
of state in MEA Preneet Kaur said on Wednesday that the countries which have
made voluntary contributions to the varsity include China ($1 million),
Thailand ($100,000), Laos ($50,000) and Indonesia ($30,000).Citizens of
Singapore have offered to design, build and deliver university’s library at a
cost of $5 million.Australia has offered 1 million Australian dollars for a
chair in the school of ecology and environment studies.Japan has pledged to use
its official development assistance for the renovation of highways leading to
the university.The minister said the government has sanctioned Rs 272.10 crore
to Nalanda university during its establishment phase from 2010-11 to 2021-22.
The estimated capital cost of the project is Rs 1749.65 crore.

Sen said
that he and his team had no problem at all with the expenses of the university
being financially scrutinised with all the strictness.The finance ministry has
made it clear that the government rules will have to be followed as Nalanda
University is predominantly a government-funded institution.The university is
set to come up on 446 acres in Rajgir, 10 kilometre from the site of the
ancient university in Nalanda, about 100 kilometres southeast of Patna. The
university will be fully residential, like the ancient Nalanda University. It
will offer courses in science, philosophy, spiritualism and social sciences.The
project took shape in 2006 at the initiative of then President A P J Abdul
Kalam.

The
ancient university at Nalanda was home to over 10,000 students and nearly 2,000
teachers. It existed until 1197 AD and attracted students and scholars from
Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey.

Sahara
chief Subrata Roy sent to police custody till March 4:

Sahara
Chief Subrata Roy, who was arrested in Lucknow on Friday after he surrendered
to police, has been sent to police custody till March 4. This comes two days
after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him by the Supreme Court.Chief
Judicial Magistrate Anand Kumar Yadav directed the UP police to keep Roy in custody
till 2 PM on March 4 and ensure that he is by then produced before the Supreme
Court which had issued non-bailable warrant against him two days ago for his
failure to appear before it in a case of non-refund of Rs 20,000 crore to
investors.

Police
had moved an application before the CJM seeking his custody instead of transit
remand and Roy’s counsel V K Shahi also did not oppose it.

Roy
pleaded that he be allowed to stay at his home but said he would go by the
court’s decision.Earlier on Friday, appearing for Roy in the Supreme Court, Ram
Jethmalani told a bench headed by Justice K S Radhakrishnan that 65-year-old
Roy is in police custody.Jethmalani also pleaded to the court for recalling of
NBW issued by it on February 26. He submitted that the special bench,
comprising Justices Radhakrishnan and J S Khehar, which heard the case be
assembled today to hear his application.

Justice
Radhakrishnan, who sat with Justice Vikramajit Sen, however, said that it is
not possible for the special bench to assemble today.

Subrata’s
son Seemanto Roy said his father has willfully submitted himself before Lucknow
police and he is cooperating with all authorities.

“We will
produce Subrata Roy before local court and will proceed as per the direction of
the court,” Navneet Sikera, DIG, Lucknow range stated. The police said that
transit remand will be sought from the local court for taking Subrata to Delhi
for producing him before the court.Earlier in the morning, Subrata Roy said he
is not absconding from arrest and is ready to “unconditionally follow” whatever
direction the Supreme Court gives him today.A day after the police visited his
home in Lucknow to arrest him as per Supreme Court’s orders but failed to find
him there, Roy said he is still in Lucknow and had gone out for sometime to
consult “a panel of doctors”. Roy said he has ”already informed police to do
their duty”.Through a statement signed by him, Roy also appealed to the Supreme
Court to allow him to be with his “ailing mother under house arrest till March
3, 2014″, while adding that he was ready to reach Delhi even today, if court
wants him to do so.Issuing a non-bailable warrant against Roy, the Supreme
Court on February 26 asked the police to arrest him and present before the
court on March 4.

Lok Sabha elections 2014: All the dates that
you need to know

The
Election Commission of India has announced the dates for the Lok Sabha
elections 2014. The elections will begin on 7 April and end on 12 May. 16 May
has been set as the counting date and the EC will complete counting on this
day. With the final dates being announced, the model code of conduct has also
come into being in the country from today itself. The elections will be held in
9 phases. Below are the dates and the number of constituences in each state
that will go to poll on a particular day: 7 April: 2 states will have polls in
6 constituencies. The states are Assam, Tripura. 9 April: 5 states will have
polls in 7 Parliamentary constituencies. The states are Arunachal Pradesh,
Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland.

10 April:
Elections will take place across 12 states and 3 union territories in 92
Parliamentary constituencies. The states are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana,
Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh, and Delhi. The union territories are Chandigarh , Lakshwadeep Islands
and Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 12 April: Polls will be held in 3 states in
5 constituencies. States on the list are Assam, Tripura and Sikkim. 17 April:
The polls will take place across 13 states in 122 constituencies. States on the
list are Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Mahararashtra, Manipur, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and
West Bengal. 24 April: Elections in 12 states across 117 constituencies. States
where polls will take place are Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu and Kashmir,
Madhya Pradesh, Mahararashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Karnatak, Uttar Pradesh,
West Bengal. The only union territory on the list is Puducherry. 30 April:
Elections take place in 9 states across 89 constituencies in the country. The
states are Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal. Two union territories where elections will take place are
Dadra and Nagar Havelli and Daman and Diu. 7 May: Polls take place in seven
states and will cover 64 constituencies. States on the list are Andhra Pradesh,
Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and
West Bengal. 12 May: This is the last date for polls where elections will take
place across 41 constituencies in three states. States on the list are Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. And now the list according to the states and
union territories in alphabetical order: Andhra Pradesh - 30 April and 7 May
Arunachal Pradesh - 9 April Assam - 7 april, 12 April and 24 April Bihar - 10
April, 17 April, 24 April, 30 April, 7 May and 12 May Chhattisgarh - 10 April,
17 April and 24 April Goa - 17 April Gujarat - 30 April Haryana - 10 April
Himachal Pradesh - 7 May Jammu Kashmir - 10 April, 17 April, 24 April 30 April
and 7 May Jharkhand - 10 April, 17 April and 24 April Karnataka - 17 April
Kerala: 10 April Madhya Pradesh: 10 April, 17 April and 24 April Maharashtra:
10 April, 17 April and 24 April Manipur
: 9 April and 17 April Meghalaya : 9 April Mizoram: 9 April Nagaland: 9 April Odisha: 10 April and 17 April Punjab:
30 April Rajasthan: 17 April 24 April Sikkim: 12 April Tamil Nadu: 24 April
Tripura: 7 April and 12 April Uttar Pradesh: 10 April, 17 April, 24 April, 30
April, 7 May, 12 May Uttarakhand: 7 May West Bengal: 17 April, 24 April, 30
April, 7 May and 12 May Andaman Nicobar Islands: 10 April Chandigarh: 10 April
Dadra and Nagar Haveli: 30 April Daman and Diu: 30 April Lakshadweep: 10 April
NCT Delhi: 10 April Puducherry: 24 April

Russia's
actions violate Ukraine's sovereignty: Obama to Putin:

United
States President Barack Obama has said that Russia's actions are in violation
of Ukraine's sovereignty and suggested that there is a diplomatic solution that
would protect the interest of both Russia and Ukraine and end the worst
East-West stand-off since the Cold War.

Obama
spoke for an hour Thursday afternoon with his Russian counterpart Vladimir
Putin and told him that "there is a way to resolve the situation
diplomatically, which addresses the interests of Russia, the people of Ukraine,
and the international community", the White House said in a statement.

This was
the second telephonic conversation between the two leaders in less than a week.
It came hours after Obama slapped sanctions and placed restrictions on
individuals supporting the Russian incursion and activities undermining
democratic processes in crisis-hit Ukraine.

The new
restrictions were announced as the US began stepping up pressure on Moscow
after Russian forces reportedly took control of Crimea, an autonomous peninsula
within Ukraine with a Russian ethnic majority.

“As a
part of that resolution, the governments of Ukraine and Russia would hold
direct talks, facilitated by the international community; international
monitors could ensure that the rights of all Ukrainians are protected,
including ethnic Russians; Russian forces would return to their bases; and the
international community would work together to support the Ukrainian people as
they prepare for elections in May," the White House said.

Obama
indicated that Secretary of State John Kerry would continue discussions with
his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Ukraine and other international partners
in the days to come to advance those objectives, it said.

Earlier,
the White House had said the US is pursuing and reviewing a wide range of
options in response to Russia's ongoing violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and
territorial integrity -- actions that constitute a threat to peace and security
and a breach of international law.

26 New Faces in Trinamool Candidates List for
LS Poll:

Going it
alone in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) today
announced candidates in all 42 seats in West Bengal, bringing in 26 new faces
including soccer star Baichung Bhutia and Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek
Banerjee, head of Trinamool Yuva.

Party
supremo Mamata Banerjee also announced candidates for some seats in three other
states.Four sitting MPs were left out of the candidates list while the new
faces also included film stars like Moonmoon Sen, matinee idol in Bengali
cinema Deb (Dipak Adhikari) and yesteryear star Sandhya Roy apart from sitting
MPs Shatabi Roy and Tapas Pal.Moonmoon Sen, daughter of Suchitra Sen, will be
fielded from Bankura Lok Sabha seat while Sugata Bose, grand nephew of Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose from prestigious Jadavpur constituency replacing suspended party
MP Kabir Suman.

Mamata's
nephew Abhishek Banerjee would contest from Diamond Harbour seat in South
24-Parganas district. The seat was held by Somen Mitra, a former Congress state
unit chief who had joined TMC in 2009 only to quit recently.Some singers also
found place in the list.The TMC chief said that she had chosen "candidates
from all walks of life to give a proper representation to Bengal".

TMC,
which had shared seats in alliance with Congress in the 2009 elections, had
fought from 27 seats and the latter from 14 seats. It had left one seat to
SUCI, a Leftist party opposed to the CPI(M).Justifying her stand to fight the
elections alone, she said, "People have wanted us to go it alone. We are
happy that we won't have to see the political faces of the corrupt."
"We hope to win from all seats," Banerjee said.

Bhutia,
who hails from Namchi in Sikkim, would interestingly fight from Darjeeling Lok
Sabha seat, which the BJP's Jaswant Singh held with support from the Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha.Banerjee also announced the names of TMC candidates for two Lok
Sabha seats in Tripura, two in Jharkhand and two in Manipur.Expressing her
happiness at the five-phase election announced by the EC, she said, "It
will take two months and seven days. But this will give me time to campaign in
all places."However, she also mentioned that in some other large states
like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, elections would be held in one phase only."We
respect the Election Commission. But we have seen that in Gujarat election is
in one phase while in Tamil Nadu also it will be held in one phase," she
said adding "thanks to the EC, it will give us time to campaign."

The party
shifted sitting Basirhat MP Haji Nurul Islam to Jangipur, a seat held by
President Pranab Mukherjee's son Abhijit Mukherjee of the Congress.While Dr
Sugata Bose, a Harvard University professor of history, has replaced rebel MP
Kabir Suman from Jadavpur seat, the MPs from Bongaon and Ranaghat have been
replaced owing to health reasons.At Raiganj in North Dinajpur district, ailing
Congress leader Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi's brother Satya Ranjan Dasmunshi has
been fielded as the TMC candidate.

the seat
is at present held by Deepa Dasmunshi, wife of Priya Ranjan, who is a Union
Minister of State in the UPA-2 Cabinet and a bitter critic of Mamata Banerjee.

Dinesh
Trivedi, who had been unceremoniously removed as Railway Minister by Banerjee
after he went against the party line and hiked passenger fares in the 2012
Railway Budget, has been renominated from Barrackpur constituency.Trinamool
Congress, which had won 19 of the 42 seats in 2009 elections, has fielded 11
women candidates this time.Noted Bengali singer Indranil Sen has been fielded
from Beharampore constituency, presently being held by West Bengal Pradesh
Congress chief and Minister of State for Railways Adhir Chowdhury."Of the
42 seats in Bengal, we are fielding 26.19 per cent women candidates and seven
candidates from Minority community will fight under the Trinamool banner,"
Banerjee said.Yesteryear film star Sandhya Roy and Dev have been put up in
Medinipur and Ghatal constituencies respectively.

Modi will
contest Lok Sabha polls from one seat in Gujarat: BJP:

The
Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced that Chief Minister
Narendra Modi will contest elections from one seat in the state, without ruling
out the possibility that he may fight on a second seat from Uttar
Pradesh."I can definitely say that Modiji will fight elections from one
seat in Gujarat," state BJP general secretary Vijay Rupani told reporters.

"There
has been a clamour to invite Narendra Modi to fight elections from four main
cities of the state -- Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Vadodara and Surat. Our party workers
want him to contest from Gujarat," Rupani said."Our (state BJP)
parliamentary board had met over the last four days and decided that Modi would
contest from one seat in Gujarat," he said, adding that the decision on
which seat he will contest from is yet to be taken.

When
asked if Modi will also contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP leader
said, "I do not know anything about that seat, but it will be decided by
our central parliamentary board."There has been lot of confusion about
which seat Modi will enter the poll fray from.The BJP's prime ministerial
candidate is at present in Delhi to attend the meetings of the central
parliamentary board and the central election committee.However, state party
leaders said that candidates for Gujarat seats will not be discussed in those
meetings.To a question on whether party veteran L K Advani will be contesting
from Gandhinagar, from where he has been elected five times, Rupani said,
"The central parliamentary board will decide about that.""We
have not finalised the panel of names for the Lok Sabha seats in the first
round of meeting of the parliamentary board. We will meet again after Holi to
do that," he said.

BJP
Gujarat unit's parliamentary board had met on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday at
the residence of Modi, in his presence."Our (state) parliamentary board is
likely to meet again to finalise the names of panels of candidates for the 26
Lok Sabha seats," state BJP spokesperson Harsad Patel said.

Advani agrees to contest from Gandhinagar:

In twists
and turns marking the top-level rumblings in the Bharatiya Janata Party, L K
Advani on Thursday decided to contest from Gandhinagar in Gujarat after the
party gave in to his pressure and allowed him the choice of the constituency in
the Lok Sabha elections.

The
86-year-old leader made the announcement shortly after party president Rajnath
Singh issued a statement saying that it was for Advani to choose whether to
contest from Gandhinagar or Bhopal, seeking to end a 24-hour drama that exposed
the simmering tensions between him and Narendra Modi.

Advani,
who has been sulking since Wednesday over the party decision to field him from
Gandhinagar against his wish of Bhopal, said Modi came to him this morning and
"emphasised that the people of Gujarat are keen that I represent
Gandhinagar Lok Sabha once again."

"I
have represented the state both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha. Having
represented Gandhinagar constituency in the Lok Sabha since 1991, I have
decided to contest the 2014 general elections from Gandhinagar itself,"
Advani said in the statement, bringing to an end the raging row over his
constituency.

BJP clinches 7-party alliance in Tamil Nadu:

Bharatiya
Janata Party on Thursday announced the formation of a seven-party rainbow
alliance for the April 24 Lok Sabha polls in Tamil Nadu, in its first-ever such
electoral venture in the state where the turf has been largely dominated by
Dravida Munetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munetra Kazhagam.The
announcement about the sealing of the alliance was made by BJP President
Rajnath Singh who described it as a 'historic' moment for Tamil Nadu and also
for the country as seven parties had come into the National Democratic
Alliance-fold.Flanked by alliance partners, Singh told a press conference that
out of the 39 seats, actor-politician Vijayakant's Desiya Murpokku Dravida
Kazhagam will fight for 14 seats while the Pattali Makkal Katchi and BJP will
field candidates in eight constituencies each.

Mayawati
not to contest LS poll; declares all 80 UP candidates:

While
refuting media reports about her plans to contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha
election, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati on Thursday went all out to woo
the state’s Muslims, by training her guns at the entire brigade along with its
prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi.

Exuding
confidence that her party would strike the balance of power in the post-poll
scenario, she ruled out the possibility of any kind of alignment with the
Bharatiya Janata Party or its allies. Besides lambasting the BJP and its
bandwagon as “communal forces”, she even went to the extent of terming her arch
political foe the Samajwadi Party and the BJP as two sides of the same coin --
obviously knowing how in the aftermath of the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, a large
section of Muslims had voiced their disillusionment with Mulayam.

155 candidates contesting Lok Sabha polls face
serious charges:

Phases 1
to 4 of the Lok Sabha elections will witness 278 candidates with charges. The
data of 1,566 candidates which have been analysed by the Association for
Democratic Reforms show that out of the 278 candidates with charges, 155 of
them have serious charges against them.

23 (25
per cent) of 92 candidates fielded by Indian National Congress, 38 (39 pc) out
of 97 candidates from Bharatiya Janata Party, 15 (16 pc) out of 92 fielded by
Aam Aadmi Party and 16 (18 pc) out of 89 Bahujan Samaj Party candidates have
declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

14 (15
pc) out of 92 candidates fielded by INC, 22 (23 pc) out of 97 candidates from
BJP, 10 (11 pc) out of 92 fielded by AAP and 9 (10 pc) out of 89 BSP candidates
have declared serious cases against themselves in their affidavits.​

Out of
the 1,566 candidates analysed, 456 (29 pc) are crorepatis. 75 (82 pc) out of 92
candidates in INC, 62 (64 pc) out of 97 candidates in BJP, 40 (44 pc) out of 92
candidates in AAP and 34 (38 pc) out of 89 candidates in the BSP have declared
assets worth more than Rs 1 crore.

The
average assets per candidate contesting from Phase 1 to 4 of Lok Sabha 2014
election is Rs 3.26 crore.

Among the
major parties, the average assets per candidate for 92 INC candidates is Rs
15.40 crore, 97 BJP candidates have average assets of Rs 5.51 crore, 92 AAP
candidates have average assets worth of Rs 2.63 crore and 89 BSP candidates
have average assets of Rs 8.27 crore.​

Deserted
wife fasts and prays for Modi to become PM:

inadvertently
been drawn in the political slugfest by Narendra Modi's rivals to target him,
but decades of separation from Gujarat chief minister has not embittered
Jashodaben, who fasts and prays for her husband to become the prime minister.

The reclusive
62-year-old retired school teacher has vowed not to eat rice and remain
bare-footed until she has seen her husband ensconced in the prime minister's
chair, says Jashodaben's brother Kamlesh."Jashodaben wishes from her heart
that from being a chief minister, he (Modi) rises to become the prime minister
of the country. She prays for that," he said.Jashodaben, has now proceeded
on a 'char dhaam yatra' to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri for
fulfilment of the wish.

Living in
a small village Ishwarwada in Mehasana district of North Gujarat with her two
brothers, Jashodaben, according to her family, is a devout person and leads a
simple life."She wakes up early in the morning, prays and visits
temple....after that she is busy with her daily routine. She also watches news
and reads all newspaper reports about him," Kamlesh said."Also, if
someone speaks ill of him (Modi), she does not tolerate it. Otherwise, she is
very mild-natured and never raises her voice against anybody," he said.Eldest
of our four siblings, Jashodaben got married to Modi in 1968 aged barely 17
years.

Indians
vote in first phase of giant general election:

Indians
have voted in the first phase of a general election which pits the governing
Congress party against the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party.The
nine-phase vote got under way in the north-eastern states of Assam and Tripura
and will conclude on 12 May. Votes will be counted on 16 May.More than 814
million Indians are eligible to vote in a poll dominated by corruption and high
inflation.An anti-corruption party the AAP offers another challenge to the main
parties.The Aam Aadmi (Common Man's) Party) secured a spectacular result in
local polls in Delhi last autumn and is fielding candidates in all of
parliament's 543 elected seats. Several smaller regional parties are also in
the fray and if no single party wins a clear majority, they could play a crucial
role in government formation.

The state
is dotted with plantations growing the world-famous Assam tea and has more than
six million eligible voters.Brisk polling was registered in the state.
Officials put turnout at about 75%.The strong turnout is a sign, many believe,
that voters are frustrated and want a change, our correspondent adds.The main
contest in the elections is between the Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, the
latest member of India's influential Nehru-Gandhi dynasty, and the BJP, led by
the charismatic and controversial Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.Mr
Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election surveys, is the leader of Gujarat
state, which witnessed one of India's worst anti-Muslim riots in 2002.The BJP
has promised to improve the economy and infrastructure and curb corruption if
it wins in the general elections.The party launched its manifesto hours after
polling began for the first phase. "Today the country has become stagnant.
It is drowned in pessimism. It needs momentum to move forward," Mr Modi
said at the launch of the manifesto.

The Lok
Sabha (lower house of parliament) has 543 elected seats and any party or a
coalition needs a minimum of 272 MPs to form a government.Some 814 million
voters - 100 million more than at the last elections in 2009 - are eligible to
vote at 930,000 polling stations, up from 830,000 polling stations in
2009.Electronic voting machines will be used and will, for the first time,
contain a None of the Above (Nota) button - an option for voters who do not
want to cast their ballot for any of the candidates.The Congress party has
promised "inclusive growth" if it returns to power.In its election
manifesto, the party promised a raft of welfare schemes, including a right to
healthcare for all and pensions for the aged and disabled.

Bharatiya
Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday filed his
nomination papers from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, saying he had been called by
"mother Ganga" to contest from this holy city.

He filed
the papers after conducting a road show in the city.Among those who proposed
his nomination were Madan Mohan Malaviya's grandson Giridhar Malaviya, Padma
Vibhushan awardee Chhandu Lal Mishra, boatman Virbhadra Nishad and Ashok, from
the dominant weaver community.

Talking
to reporters before filing his papers, Modi said he felt "Mother
Ganga" has called him to contest from this constituency.

"...Earlier
I used to think that the BJP has sent me here, sometimes I felt that I am going
to Kashi. But after coming here, I feel neither has anybody sent me nor have I
come on my own. It is mother Ganga who has called me

"And
the way a child feels when he is back in his mother's lap, the same way I feel
here," said the Gujarat chief minister who is also contesting from
Vadodara in his home state.He vowed to make Kashi a spiritual capital of the
world.God... give me strength, so that I can work for the city, for my poor
weaver brothers...so that Kashi can become a spiritual capital of the
world," Modi said.The BJP leader sought to project common links between
his birthplace in Vadnagar in Gujarat and Varanasi, saying both were pilgrim
centres for worshippers of Lord Shiva.

Modi also
sought to reach out to the weaver community of Varanasi (also called Banaras),
which makes up a sizeable section of the population in this constituency and
many of them are Muslims.He said if he becomes the prime minister, he would
provide encouragement to them in various ways so that their business could grow
and expand.

"I
can say about the weavers here. This is a valuable 'amanat' (legacy).
Technological upgradation, marketing, branding, designing will be provided...If
we create all these support bases, I don't see any reason why Kashi weavers
would not be able to take on Chinese competition," he said.To buttress his
point, he said after he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had provided
encouragement to poor Muslims engaged in kite business and their commerce had grown
manifold.

"I
did some research. Though no state government would pat attention to kites, I
studied and found kites used to travel to 24 places before it could be
produced," Modi said.After taking certain steps, the kite industry, which
was worth Rs 35 crore in 2002, has now grown to Rs 700 crore."And all the
poor Muslim brothers-sisters sit in their huts and produce kites," he
added.

Defiant
militia strike again in Ukraine:

The
spiralling crisis in Ukraine has resulted in Russia and the United States
stepping up the rhetoric as defiant pro-Russian militant took control of key
buildings in the country's chaotic east.
Pro-Russia rebels, led by a heavily armed mob, took control of the
police station in Lugansk after a stand-off with tear gas and shots fired.

Police
tried to hold off an angry mob of some 1,000 demonstrators with grenades and
tear gas but eventually turned over their headquarters and weapons to the
rebels.The building in Ukraine's Donetsk region is the latest to fall under the
control of pro-Russian militants.A pro-Russian activist holds a mace outside
the regional government headquarters in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine. Hundreds of
pro-Russian separatists seized the regional government headquarters in Luhansk
on Tuesday, unopposed by police, underlining the lack of control of central
government over swathes of eastern Ukraine

Who tried
to kill Ramesh Agrawal, the activist and winner of the prestigious Goldman
Environment Prize?:

Activist
Ramesh Agrawal, 56, is among the six people who will be awarded the prestigious
Goldman Environment Prize. However, two years after he was shot at immediately
after he managed to stop Jindal Steel and Power Limited's coal mining project
in Raigarh district, Chhattisgarh, the police and courts have been unable to
unravel the bigger conspiracy behind the attack.

The
Chhattisgarh police have filed a charge sheet in the case in which seven
people, including a Jindal employee, a retired army brigadier, KK Chopra and
his associate SN Panigrahi, who run a security agency, Superior Fire and
Security Service, which provides security for Jindal Steel and Power Limited in
Raigarh, have been named. The main attacker, who hails from Andhra Pradesh, is
still absconding. Chopra and Panigrahi are out on bail while the Jindals have
repeatedly denied all allegations against the company.

Local
activists and Agrawal alleged that the attack was carried out at the behest of
Naveen Jindal in 2012. Agrawal alleged that Jindal is influencing the case
because of which the larger conspiracy behind the attack is not being
unraveled.

Agrawal,
who is currently in San Francisco for the award ceremony, had managed to stall
the multi-million mining project of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, citing
lacunae in environmental clearances and alleged farce public hearings,
mandatory for such projects. Before that, Agrawal was incarcerated for two
months in 2010 when Jindal filed a defamation case, alleging that Agrawal
defamed the company during his public meeting with the villagers.

The
attackers shot Agrawal in his groin and thigh in 2012. Two years later, he
still has a steel rod installed in his femur and a cane to support him while
walking.

“The
local police is trying to dilute the case even in court so that the witnesses
and accused do not point at Naveen Jindal on whose instance the attack was
carried out. The main conspirator is still absconding and witnesses record
statements sluggishly. Jindal is trying hard to ensure that people even
remotely associated with him are not indicted in the case,” alleged Rajesh
Tripathi, another activist from Raigarh, who is fighting for the rights of
tribals and protection of environment.

The
Goldman annual prize honours outstanding grassroots environmentalists who have
made sustained and significant efforts, even at great personal risk, to protect
and enhance the natural environment. The individual cash prize is $175,000.
Agrawal won the prize along with five other activists across the globe.

Modi reaches out to all parties in Vadodara
victory speech:

Modi wins
Vadodara LS seat by over 5.70 lakh votes

After a
landslide victory, Narendra Modi on Friday reached out to the opposition
seeking the cooperation of all parties and leaders in running the nation, and
dedicated himself to serve everyone equally.In a gracious, 45-minute victory
speech in Vadodara, Modi said the government does not belong to any particular
party but to all the people of the country."For a government, no one is a
favourite, nor is anyone an alien," he asserted to a cheering crowd of
supporters whom he thanked for giving him a victory by 5.70 lakh
votes.Committing himself to running the country in the best spirit of the
Constitution, Modi said, "My responsibility is to take everyone along in
running the nation.""In a democracy, there are no enemies but only
competitors. That competition ends with elections," he said, adding his
motto is "sabka saath, sabka vikas (with all, development for
all)."Congratulating winners in the Lok Sabha elections and the assembly
elections in some states irrespective of parties, Modi said, "I extend my
best wishes to the MPs and MLAs of all parties. I hope that I will get their
support in taking the country forward."

Apparently
referring to recriminations during the campaign, he said he would convert the
"love" shown by his opponents into "pure love"."In a democracy,
there are no enemies but only competitors. This competition is the beauty of
our democracy," he said, adding that the "bitterness" is over
with the campaign.

"I
want to assure the people of the country that for us it is our motto to carry
along everyone however much they may oppose us. We will try to ensure that
there will be nothing lacking on this front," he said.Modi underlined the
significance of his victory by saying that it was the first time after
Independence that a non-Congress party has got absolute majority on its own.The
63-year-old leader also emphasised that for the first time the reins of power
have come to those born after Independence.Speaking amid chants of "Modi,
Modi, Modi", he said, "Whatever may be the scale of victory, it is
our responsibility in government to take everyone along. I need your blessings
to achieve this humbly."

Trinamool
Congress to play greater constructive role in country: Mamata Banerjee:

After
putting up a brilliant performance in the Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool
Congress said on Friday it would play a greater constructive role in the
country. Party chief Mamata Banerjee claimed that the success came despite
"malicious campaign" launched by a section of the media against which
the party fought single-handedly.

"We
will play a greater constructive role in the country. We thank the people and
at the end of it, it is the people who has emerged as the 'Man of the
Match'," Banerjee said. "We are for harmony of all castes, religions
and creeds. We are in favour of economic stability, financial stability and
political stability," she said.

Out of
the 42 Lok Sabha seats, Banerjee's TMC has performed extremely well by leading
in 34 seats, with the main opposition Left leading in 2 seats and Congress
leading in 4 seats.

Sharif,
Karzai among 3,000 invitees for Modi's swearing in:

Pakistan
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is among the foreign leaders invited to Narendra
Modi's swearing-in as prime minister on May 26 which Afghan President Hamid
Karzai has decided to attend.Sharif and Karzai are among the leaders who have
been extended verbal invitation and Karzai has already accepted the same,
sources said. This will be followed by written invitation, they said.

However,
there was no clarity on who has been invited for the swearing-in ceremony at
the forecourt of the historic Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi which will be
attended by over 3,000 guests.

Modi will
be administered the oath as 15th prime minister of the country by President
Pranab Mukherjee. The Bharatiya Janata Party had a landslide victory in the
just-concluded polls to elect members of the 16th Lok Sabha and crossed the
majority mark of 272 in the 543-member House on its own for the first time in
its history

Indian consulate attacked in Afghanistan,
Karzai calls Modi:

The
Indian consulate in the Afghan city of Herat was on Friday attacked by
heavily-armed gunmen. The assault, which began at 3.25 am, has been on for
several hours.

All the
four gunmen, who had stormed the Indian consulate in Afghanistan's Herat
province early on Friday, have been gunned down, Indo-Tibetan Border Police
chief Subhas Goswami said. "One terrorist was killed by ITBP personnel
while three have been killed by Afghan forces. The attack has been successfully
repulsed," he said.

Afghanistan
President Hamid Karzai called Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi and assured
that Afghanistan will do all to protect India's Missions there.Modi condemned
the attack in Herat and said he is closely monitoring the situation. Modi said
he spoke to Indian Ambassador in Afghanistan Amar Sinha following the attack
earlier in the day.

"I
condemn the attack on our consulate in Herat, Afghanistan. Closely monitoring
the situation. I have spoken to the ambassador as well," he
tweeted.Goswami also said that security
at the Indian embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif and
Khandhar besides Herat has been beefed up and a high alert sounded to all
Indian assets based across Afghanistan.

"We
have been on alert. Our sister agencies have been providing intelligence inputs
regularly about sabotage activities against us in Afghanistan. We have asked
all our units to be on alert and vigilant," Goswami told PTI.No group has
claimed responsibility for the attack. India has invested in some major
infrastructure projects in Afghanistan like Salma hydroelectric dam in Herat
province and the Afghan parliament building in Kabul.India's development
assistance programme for Afghanistan currently stands at $2 billion, making it
the leading donor nation among all regional countries.

Bihar CM
wins trust vote after BJP walkout:

The
three-day-old Jitan Ram Manjhi government in Bihar won the trust vote in the
state assembly amid walkout by opposition the Bharatiya Janata Party.The
confidence motion moved by Manjhi was passed by members at a special session by
voice vote.In the state assembly, whose effective strength presently is 237,
the Manjhi-government managed getting the support of 145 legislators.

After winning
the trust vote comfortably, a happy Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on
Friday said he would soon expand his cabinet. “Cabinet will be expanded soon,”
Manjhi said outside the assembly after winning the confidence.He, however, did
not mention the date for carrying out the expansion and merely said “soon.” The
CM said his cabinet will be expanded to its maximum limit of 35.All the 15
ministers in the Nitish Kumar cabinet found berth in the Manjhi government.

Amid
accusations from the Bharatiya Janata Party of an immoral alliance between the
Janata Dal-United, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress to stick to power
and keep the BJP out, Manjhi said he never asked for support from Lalu Prasad’s
party who voted for his three-day old ministry on its own.

“I had
support of 124 legislators, including four of Congress, against the magic
figure of 118 in the House whose effective strength at present is 237... there
was no problem in my ways to win trust vote... but since RJD voted for me in
the name of social justice I thank them,” Manjhi said.

Asked if
coming together of Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar after 20 years would continue
in future also, the Bihar CM said, “These are issues of future.”Manjhi
expressed fullsome praise for former chief minister Nitish Kumar who chose him
as his successor. “Nitish Kumar’s love for weaker sections was no show off...
you all are witness to the episode when he had offered his own chair to
‘mountainman’ Dasrath Manjhi credited with carving out roads through mountains in
Gaya,” he said.

Narendra
Modi bows as he enters Parliament for first time:

Narendra
Modi’s Glamorous Swearing-In Ceremony:

Narendra
Modi greets India’s President Pranab Mukherjee after the swearing-in ceremony
at the president’s estate. As part of the ceremony, Mr. Mukherjee invited Mr.
Modi to take an oath of office as well as an oath of secrecy — that he will not
reveal any confidential information or state secrets.

Hira Ba,
center, 95, the mother of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, watches the live
broadcast of the swearing-in ceremony of her son with Narendra Modi’s brother
Pankaj Modi, left, and other relatives from her residence in Gandhinagar, in
the western Indian state of Guajarat, on May 26, 2014

Leaders
from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and a
government representative from Bangladesh arrived at the nation’s capital over
the weekend and Monday after Mr. Modi invited neighboring states to the event.